Our National Conversation

PM lee has delivered a solid national day rally last week, with his message revolving around hope, heart and home. it was filled with many anecdotes of everyday ordinary singaporeans. and it made us stop and ponder amidst our busy lives, wad is singapore to us, and how we want the future of singapore to be.

education minister heng swee keat has been tasked to engage the nation in a “national conversation”. i quote: “This national conversation will first and foremost be about putting Singaporeans at the heart of our concerns. It will be an opportunity for Singaporeans to come together, and ask: What matters most? Where do we want to go as a country, as a people?”

some naysayers would dismiss this as another weak attempt to show that the govt is engaging the public, and is listening to its people’s concerns and hopes. of cos, i dunno if that is the case. but to me, i sense the sincerity in the govt really trying to take steps to address sinagporean’s concerns. and this national conversation will help them to review the existing policies, and write new ones to achieve singaporeans’ vision of their ideal home. the general public, on our part, ought to remind ourselves that this is not a xmas wishlist where santa will grant all wishes.

a national conversation with heng swee keat (photo credit: ST)

my ideal singapore:

1. work-life balance – singaporeans generally are working too hard. many are swarmed with work, ending work late, bringing work home, hence neglecting our loved ones. in our pursuit of career advancement and material well-being, we often forget how to enjoy life and spend quality time with our family and frens. and many times, in such pursuits, we are also unknowingly become selfish, self-centred and overly materialistic. singapore dreams shld not be revolving ard the 5Cs.

2. more kindness, graciousness and tolerance – i want to see less of self-centred people with NIMBY syndrome, less of impatient drivers on the roads, less of inconsiderate people who refuse to give up seats. and more of helpful people who are always willing to lend a helping hand to people in need, more of nice neighbours who look out for one another instead of fighting over trivial matters, and more of big-hearted people who recognise the contributions of our foreigners and accept them without prejudice.

3. less kiasu and over-protective parents – i really hate to see kiasu parents who send their kids to countless tuition and enrichment classes, depriving them of a happy and carefree childhood. it also irks me to see elitist parents volunteering in schs, moving houses and do all sorts of things just so their kids get into branded schs. i also dun like to see over-protective parents complaining to MOE, to MP etc over the slightest matter. lodging a police report cos a teacher cuts her kid’s hair? seriously wad kind of values are such parents incalcating in their kids?

4. an inclusive society – one where the less privileged and the elderlys are not forgotten. over the years, singapore has become one of the richest countries in the world. but we are also one of the countries with the greatest income disparity. certainly more can be done to help the poorest people to move up the society ladder, to enjoy a higher quality of life. the rich-poor gap should not be so big.

5. steady economic growth and improvements – we have been enjoying strong economic growth over the past few decades, and we certainly want to see this sustaining. economic growth brings us more jobs, higher standards of living, and makes us an interesting city to live, work and play in. however, we are OK with a slower growth. we understand the need for foreigners in our economy and we welcome them. we are jus hoping that basic infrastructure like transport and housing are adequate before welcoming them in.

im looking forward to seeing the national conversation intiative translating into real results, to bring us one step closer to achieving the singapore we aspire to be, a place we can truly call home.